Daily Doings Of A Dog Named Dakota, Let The Barking Begin!

The ASPCA is gearing up for the start of the 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge, where a total of $600,000 in prize grants are up for grabs to help shelters save more homeless cats and dogs.

The ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is a groundbreaking contest that challenges animal shelters across the country to come up with innovative ways to engage their communities and get more homeless cats and dogs into loving homes.

The 49 contestants will work to save more animals – during the months of June, July and August 2013– than they did over the same three-month period in 2012. Last year’s competing shelters saved more than 56,000 cats and dogs during the contest, an increase of 14,376 over the same period in 2011. For a full list of participating shelters, visit challenge.aspcapro.org.

Since Dakota and I live in Michigan, we are going to be pulling for the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter and will help promote them when we can to help them increase their adoption numbers!

The ASPCA and Rachael Raywill award a $100,000 grand prize to the shelter contestant that achieves the greatest increase in lives saved during this three-month period. The contestant that does the best job of engaging its community members in helping to save more animals will win $25,000. Those organizations that do the best in their divisions will be eligible for between $10,000 and $25,000 in additional grants. In total, $600,000 in grant funding will be awarded for increases in animal lives saved, as well as a photo contest and general participation.

All her life, Rachael Rayhas been an advocate for animals and a supporter of animal welfare groups. Her love for animals and for her pit bull, Isaboo, inspired her to create her pet food (which you read about A LOT on Dakota’s blog) called Nutrish®to raise money for animals in need. Ray donates 100 percent of her proceeds from the sale of Nutrish® to organizations like the ASPCA so they can implement programs like the $100K Challenge and support shelters and animal organizations around the country.

So what are you waiting for? Find a participating shelter in your area that you can support by visiting: challenge.aspcapro.org.

Follow all the #100KChallenge action this weekend on Twitter, and best of luck to all the shelters as they embark on this exciting Challenge to save more lives!

Dakota and I wish them all the best of luck!

In full disclosure: Dakota and I were not compensated for this post. We were contacted by the ASPCA and were asked if we would share this info and we are more than happy to do so!

MHS adoption fees for cats and kittens at its PetSmart partner locations are $65 or two for $95; adoption fees for dogs over 4 months are $200; puppies and lap dogs (20 pounds or less) are $300. Rabbits are $20. All dogs and cats have been spayed or neutered and received age-appropriate vaccinations. All cats have been microchipped at no additional cost.

The adoption process mirrors that at MHS’ three adoption centers. Adoptions are on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified families. A listing of pets and further information about the MHS Adoption Package is available atwww.michiganhumane.org/adopt. For more information, call 1-866-MHUMANE (648-6263), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit www.michiganhumane.org.

The Michigan Humane Society is a private, nonprofit organization which cares for more than 100,000 animals each year, while working to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.

This election season, it may not seem like there’s much that we all agree on, but there is one thing that brings us all together – our shared respect and admiration for our armed forces. This Veterans Day, Sunday, November 11, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) will honor that tradition by hosting “Pets, Packs and Patriots” a celebration of our two-legged and four-legged veterans, at Petco in Sterling Heights.

“We are forever grateful to the brave men and women who risk their lives to defend our nation,” said Marie Skladd, MHS Director of Community Outreach. “This event is a way for us to say thank you and honor a debt to them that we can never truly repay.”

The event, held at the MHS off-site adoption center at Petco Sterling Heights, will showcase pets who are available for adoption through the “Pets for Patriots” program, which connects animals who face adoption challenges with members of our armed forces who are looking for their new best friend. The program provides heavily discounted adoption fees and veterinary care for the life of the pet.

Local Cub Scouts will be serving refreshments, and attendees will be able to contribute or purchase items for care packages that will be donated to Desert K9s, an organization that provides supplies and protective gear to military canines deployed overseas. Examples of needed items include collapsible food and water bowls, large Kong-style toys, dry dog biscuits and more.

“Without these four-legged soldiers, thousands more of our brave men and women would lose their lives,” said Sandie Smith, Desert K-9s Coordinator.

Petco is located at 13701 Lakeside Circle in Sterling Heights. For more information about this event, please visit www.michiganhumane.org or call 1-866-MHUMANE (648-6263), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Michigan Humane Society is a private, nonprofit organization which cares for more than 100,000 animals each year, while working to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.

The wait is finally over! The seventh annual Mega March for Animals, the largest walk for animals in Michigan, will hit the streets of downtown Detroit and the beautiful trails of Kensington Metropark this Sunday, Oct. 7. Thousands of pet lovers, many accompanied by their four-legged friends, will march to end pet homelessness and to create a better future for pets here in our community. Last year’s event drew more than 7,000 people.

The seventh annual Mega March for Animals

WHERE:Hart Plaza

1 Hart Plaza, Detroit

Kensington Metropark

2240 West Buno Road, Milford

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 7

Registration opens at 9 a.m., walk begins at 10 a.m.

Twice the Drool and Twice as Cool – Mega March for Animals

Mega Marchers raise funds in support of MHS’ programs and services that touch the lives of 100,000 animals every year. These include animal sheltering and adoption, veterinary care, cruelty investigation and rescue, services for struggling pet owners and much more.

From Dakota’s Den: We love hearing about creative ways that organizations find to help homeless animals. When we sent information about this venture we couldn’t help but “say cheese!”.How many times do parents complain that their teens spend too much time online? It seems that they post never-ending streams of photos to their friends on Facebook. Now, they can put those “itchy-fingers” and photos to good use by taking pictures to help animals in need. READ ON!

Famed Photographer and

Campaign Spokesperson

Nigel Barker

Teaches Teens

to Find Their Inner Fur-tographers

DoSomething.org and Nigel Barker are launching their firstnationwide animal adoption campaign, ‘Pics for Pets’ aiming to increase adoptionrates in shelters through teens, their cameras and Facebook, while saving someadorable animals’ lives in the process.

DoSomething.org is putting the bite back in the fight for homeless shelter animals. With the help of campaign spokesperson and world-renowned photographer, Nigel Barker,DoSomething.org is launching their first nationwide animal adoption campaign. ‘Pics forPets’ aims to increase adoption rates in shelters through teens, their cameras and Facebook, while saving some adorable animals’ lives in the process. AOL is also supporting the cause by spreading the word about the campaign to their enormous audience.

Every year, approximately 5-7 million companion animals enter shelters nationwide, and approximately 3-4 million are euthanized (50% of dogs and 70% of cats) simply because they are not adopted. One big reason why these animals aren’t adopted is due to sub-par pictures. All too often, the pictures used to market the potential pets are taken when the animal first arrives at the shelter, disheveled and frightened. DoSomething.org has set out make a change, arming teens with the skills to provide updated, irresistible pictures of animals to their social networks in hopes of finding new homes for these furry friends.

Running through November, ‘Pics for Pets’ is hoping to increase adoption rates across the country, utilizing the internet’s most powerful asset: sharable pictures of cute animals. Working closely with Facebook, DoSomething.org has created an easy-to-use Facebook app to help teens take and share awesome pics of animals in their community. Using the app, teens will have everything at their fingertips to locate a shelter, learn how to take beautiful pictures of animals and upload pictures to the gallery in hopes of spreading the word about shelter animals and where to adopt them. As a companion tool, DoSomething.org will also be releasing Pics for Pets iOS and Android apps for teens who wish to visit their local shelter and become animal photographers using their smartphones.

Teens who participate by sharing their pics will have the chance to win a $10,000 scholarship. DoSomething.org will also be giving up to $10,000 in pet toys, food and bedding to partner shelters depending on how many times their animals profiles are shared on Facebook.

“Utilizing something that teens are already experts in (sharing photos on Facebook), we are hoping to show people that their next potential pet can be the cute animal down the street at their local shelter” says Greg Thomas, Campaigns Manager at DoSomething.org. “By joining forces with Nigel Barker and AOL, we have the chance to make a significant increase in the amount of animal adoptions—and all it takes is a few photos.”

Nigel Barker cares about saving animals’ lives too, and is lending his expert photo tips to help these teens make a difference. He adds some bite to the bark of DoSomething.org’s animal adoption campaign by starring in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) helping teens to build the perfect photo shoot to get these shelter animals adopted.

DoSomething.org and Nigel Barker are launching their firstnationwide animal adoption campaign, ‘Pics for Pets’ aiming to increase adoptionrates in shelters through teens, their cameras and Facebook, while saving someadorable animals’ lives in the process.

“It’s been a really rewarding experience helping bring awareness to animal adoption, and it hasn’t hurt that I’m working with the most affectionate photo subjects I’ve had yet: animals,” said campaign spokesperson, Nigel Barker. “I’m hoping teens will take my lead and brush up on their photography skills while helping to save a few animals’ lives.”

“We know that pets are a topic that resonates with our audience, and we’re thrilled to support worthy initiatives like Pics for Pets,” said Blair Cobb, Senior Director of AOL’s Cause Marketing & Partnership initiatives. “By leveraging our platforms, including AOL.com, AOL Mail and Patch, we are able to create awareness around this campaign and truly help shelters across the country.”

We love teens. They are creative, active, wired…and frustrated that our world is so messed up. DoSomething.org harnesses that awesome energy and unleashes it on causes teens care about. Almost every week, we launch a new national campaign. The call to action is always something that has a real impact and doesn’t require money, an adult, or a car. With a goal of 5 million active members by 2015, DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US for teens and social change. Join us at www.DoSomething.org.

About AOL Inc.
AOL Inc. (NYSE:AOL) is a brand company, committed to continuously innovating, growing, and investing in brands and experiences that inform, entertain, and connect the world. The home of a world-class collection of premium brands, AOL creates original content that engages audiences on a local and global scale. We help marketers connect with these audiences through effective and engaging digital advertising solutions.

Collaboration to bring awareness, help more homeless animals find their way home

MYBFZ boy and dog

Tens of thousands of homeless animals find their way to area animal shelters and rescue groups every single year, and not enough of them find forever homes. That’s why the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) is partnering with Meijer and Purina ONEto raise awareness of the number of homeless pets in our community, and to help more of them find loving homes. As part of this partnership, Meijer and Purina ONE are sponsors and key participants in the

MEET YOUR BEST FRIEND AT THE ZOO

adoption event

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 22 and 23

at the Detroit Zoo

Royal Oak, Michigan

Angela-mom and Kaya Scott of Ferndale adopted Stanley_pictured with Emily and Nadia Jackson

The partnership will assist pet owners in every phase of pet ownership – from adopting a pet at the Michigan Humane Society to keeping your new family member healthy and happy by purchasing Purina ONE food and other pet-related items at Meijer. Meijer and Purina ONE will also provide every dog and cat adopter from MHS with valuable moneysaving coupons including free pet food, cat litter, photo prints, and huge savings on other pet supplies.

Abby finds new home with Matt Hutchins and family_Royal Oak (1)

Meijer and Purina ONE have also teamed up to sponsor

Michigan Humane Society’s 2012

Mega March for Animals

being held Sunday, Oct. 7,

at Hart Plaza in Detroit

and at Kensington Metropark in Milford

The largest walk for animals in Michigan, the event supports MHS’ many lifesaving programs, including animal sheltering and adoption, veterinary care, cruelty investigation and rescue and much more.

“It is important for people to understand that shelter pets are among the very best companions you can bring into your home and as such, we are so proud to partner with the Michigan Humane Society, Meijer and the greater Detroit community to make more adoptions possible,” said Pamela Hill, Purina ONE Shelter Pet Program Manager.

If you’re interested in bringing a homeless pet into your life, visit www.michiganhumane.org, or call 1-866-MHUMANE (648-6263) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Michigan Humane Society is a private, nonprofit organization which cares for more than 100,000 animals each year, while working to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.

It’s the 20th year of the “Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo” adoption event, and the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) and Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) are partnering to commemorate this anniversary by hosting the biggest and best event yet! The fall Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 22 and 23 at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, in the front parking lot underneath the landmark water tower. Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo is presented by Purina ONE

Hundreds of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from MHS and more than 20 additional animal welfare groups will be available for adoption, with other groups offering next-day or later adoptions. Also, a number of additional breed-specific rescue groups will be on-hand providing information to potential adopters about the breeds they represent. For a full listing, visit www.michiganhumane.org/zoo.

Puppies are often in high demand and can lead to tent overcrowding, which is why special MHS “puppy passes” will be given each morning to the first 25 adoption event guests who are looking specifically to adopt a puppy. Those with a puppy pass will be allowed to enter the adoption tents at 9:45 a.m. A get acquainted area will be offered to give guests an opportunity to spend time with an animal.

The Detroit Zoo is at 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak. There is no charge for admission or parking for the event. Media partners for the event include 98.7 AMP Radio; 97.1 The Ticket; 99.5 WYCD; 104.3 WOMC; Talk Radio 1270; and WWJ Newsradio 950.

Adoption fees and policies are set by each participating group and not by event hosts or sponsors. Animals will be adopted only to qualified homes. Adopters must present a valid driver’s license or state ID card. All dogs and cats will have received a medical check-up and age-appropriate vaccinations. For health and safety reasons, please leave current companion animals at home.

For more information, visit the MHS website at www.michiganhumane.orgor call 1-866-MHUMANE (648-6263), from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Michigan Humane Society (MHS) is a private, nonprofit organization which cares for more than 100,000 animals each year, while working toend companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.